20 years Berlin Conference : EUROPE - A Cultural Project

The Stiftung Zukunft Berlin, the civil society initiative A Soul for Europe (ASfE), the European Festival Association (EFA) and the Evangelical Academy of Berlin (EAzB) invite you to the Berlin Conference on 7 and 8 November 2024 at the Allianz Forum, next to the Brandenburg Gate.

7 - 8 November 2024

Allianz Forum

Twenty years after the first Berlin Conference in 2004, when the initiative A Soul for Europe was initiated, we are more than ever convinced of the importance of exploring and embracing the innovative approaches of arts and culture for the European project together. With the past 20 years as a reference and asset, there is a need to nurture a collective vision for the future by listening to the diverse individual narratives and experiences of decision makers and artistically and culturally driven actors from different parts of Europe.

In 2024, both the recent European Union elections and the US elections in November – just two days before the conference begins – represent decisive moments for democracies in Europe. With the results of the elections in Europe and the clear message that we have to fight for democratic development, the Berlin Conference will have the opportunity to respond to the outcome and the consequent political ramifications. With the enlargement of the European Union on 1 May 2004 and today 20 years later bringing Europeans together and developing a common purpose is still an unfinished task and more relevant than ever. The EU today requires not only political reforms, but also closer interaction with civil society, because enlargement policy is above all a cultural process.

Detailed programme available here

Programme Thursday, 7 November

Before the official opening of the Conference on 7 November, there will be an informal 'Community Meet-up' in which EFA Members and EFFE Seal Cities and Regions are invited to participate as of 9.00. Discover the programme.

13.00 CONVERSATION: 20 YEARS OF BERLIN CONFERENCE & EU ENLARGEMENT
The role and place of arts and culture in Europe

Hans-Gert Pöttering, former President of the European Parliament
Doris Pack, former Chair of the Committee on Culture and Education of the European Parliament
Yuriy Vulkovsky, former Deputy Minister of Culture (Bulgaria) & Executive Director of Narodni Chitalishta Foundation
Jo Leinen, former Member of the European Parliament, former President of the European Movement International (EMI)
Dr. Hans-Gert Pöttering, former President of the European Parliament
Dr.h.c. Doris Pack, former Chair of the Committee on Culture and Education of the European Parliament
Dr. Hannes Swoboda, former Chair of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats in the European Parliament

Hosted by:

Dr. Volker Hassemer, founder of Stiftung Zukunft Berlin & former Senator for Urban Development and Environment and
Yuriy Vulkovsky, former Deputy Minister of Culture, Bulgaria & Executive Director of Narodni Chitalishta Foundation

14.45 CONVERSATION: UNDERSTANDING THE NOW
How are arts & culture driving todays political debates & the future of Europe?

Lisa Batiashvili, Georgian-born German violinist
Mariya Gabriel, former European Commissioner for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education and Youth & former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Bulgaria
Michael Roth, Member of the German Bundestag & Chairman of the Committee on Foreign Affairs
Hosted by Farid Tabarki, Founding Director of Studio Zeitgeist

Programme Friday, 8 November

9.40 IN CONVERSATION WITH

Doris Pack, former Chair of the Committee on Culture and Education of the European Parliament
Maryia Gabriel, former European Commissioner for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education and Youth & former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Bulgaria
Haris Pasović, Theatre Director from Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Hosted by Kathrin Deventer, Secretary General of European Festivals Association & A Soul for Europe Strategy Group

11.00 IN CONVERSATION WITH

Aiva Rozenberga, Lielā Talka, Riga, Latvia
Alison Mooney, Poet and former Speechwriter at the President of the European Parliament, Brussels, Belgium
Lirak Çelaj, Actor, director, and screenwriter, former Deputy Minister for European Integration, former Deputy Minister of Justice, Kosovo
Hosted by: Nicolas Bertrand, A Soul for Europe Strategy Group

12.15 BREAKOUT SESSIONS
During parallel sessions, participants will engage in discussions to consolidate what was shared in the plenary conversations. Divided into smaller groups, they will explore diverse perspectives and address key concerns about Europe's future. Each group will be guided by a speaker and a host, to allow for a focused exchange of ideas.

GROUP 1: EU - INVITATION AND EXCHANGE OR DEADLY DETERRENCE?
About the relations between EU and refugees from an artist's perspective
Urszula Bertin, XENION - Psychosoziale Hilfen für politisch Verfolgte e.V., Berlin, Germany
Hosted by Susana Marques, A Soul for Europe Strategy Group
GROUP 2: EUROPE A DECOLONIAL PROJECT?
The paradigm of looking at oneself through others' eyes and the adventure of pluriversity
Fernando Dias Costa, Musician, Grupo Sal, Tübingen, Germany
Hosted by Dr. Max Oliver Schmidt, Director of Studies for Migration and Europe, Evangelische Akademie zu Berlin
GROUP 3: INTERCONNECTEDNESS IN THE REALM OF CULTURE
How the new types of connectivity in arts and culture can shape the future of Europe
Dr. hab. Dominika Kasprowicz, Villa Decius, Krakow, Poland
Hosted by Dejan Ubovic, A Soul for Europe Strategy Group
GROUP 4: CREATIVE LABORATORIES OF CULTURAL DISCOVERY
Festivals - our very own cultural large hadron colliders
James McVeigh, Festivals Edinburgh, Scotland
Hosted by Simon Mundy, A Soul for Europe Strategy Group
GROUP 5: CREATIVITY FOR SOCIAL CHANGE
How creativity can influence the societies we are living in and spark systemic change from the bottom up
Adama Sanneh, Co-Founder and CEO Moleskine Foundation, Milan, Italy
Hosted by Giusy Chierchia, A Soul for Europe Strategy Group

GROUP 6: DECENTERING EUROPEAN CULTURE. CONTRIBUTIONS OF NON EUROPEAN VOICES
How can non-Western actors challenge the Eurocentric gaze and contribute to a more inclusive, decolonized understanding and practice of culture?
Necati Sönmez, Film critic & documentary filmmaker, Istanbul, Turkey
Hosted by Özlem Cengel Götzelt, A Soul for Europe Strategy Group

15.00 PLENARY: FROM CONVERSATIONS TO ANALYSIS
Political and Cultural analysts synthesise the day's discussions into actionable policy proposals for the local, national, and European levels.

Lars Ebert, Secretary General for Culture Action Europe, Brussels, Belgium
Adelheid Feilcke, Director of Programmes for Europe at Deutsche Welle, Berlin, Germany
Davinia Galea, Founder and Managing Director for ARC Research & Consultancy, Malta
Elena Polivtseva, Co-Founder Culture Policy Room and Research Expert for Goethe Institute, Brussels, Belgium
Rarita Zbranca, Programme Director for Cluj Cultural Centre, Cluj, Romania
Dr. Paweł Zerka, Senior Policy Fellow for European Council on Foreign Relations, Paris, France

Hosted by:

Kathrin Deventer, Secretary General of European Festivals Association & A Soul for Europe Strategy Group
Stephanie Bonnici, A Soul for Europe Strategy Group

16.30 PLENARY: FROM ANALYSIS TO ACTION
Decision-makers from local, national, and EU levels commit to political processes by exploring synergies and opportunities to create a joint agenda.

Dr. Samuel Azzopardi, President of the Gozo Region, Malta
John Boxall, Mayor of Birgu, Malta
Xavier Cester Vidal, Director de lÀrea de Música at Institut Català de les Empreses Culturals (ICEC) in Barcelona, Spain
Dr. Stefan Fassbinder, Mayor of Greifswald, Germany
Őrsi Gergely, Mayor of Budapest District II, Hungary
Barbara Gessler, Head of the European Commission Representation in Berlin, Germany
Katti Hoflin, Director for cultural affairs in Västra Götaland, Sweden
Jacek Jaśkowiak, Mayor of Poznan, Poland
Gilles Pelayo, Head of Unit Creative Europe Culture at EACEA for European Commission, Belgium
José Ribau Esteves, Mayor of Aveiro, Portugal
Shaqir Totaj, Mayor of Prizren, Kosovo
Sarah Wedl-Wilson, Permanent Secretary for Culture in Berlin, Germany
Hosted by Farid Tabarki, Founding Director of Studio Zeitgeist